6 Quick Meals Our Editors Make With a Can of Beans

"In these moments, we look to kitchen helpers, humble ingredients that can quickly form the base of full-on delicious meals. Each month, we'll be giving you fuss-free recipe ideas to call upon any day of the week. This month, it's all about beans. Budget-friendly, protein-packed, and often requiring not more than a dump-and-stir, canned beans are the perfect ingredient for making something out of nothing."

"Black beans and rice. No more, no less. Okay, a little more. I heated some butter in a skillet, and added in chopped garlic, cumin, tomato powder, and cayenne pepper before plopping in smoky canned chipotle peppers and my trusty beans. Once the beans cooked down, I served them over a steaming bed of cilantro confettied rice with a few toppings-Trader Joe's Sweet Ripe Plantains, creamy avocado, and a fiery river of Cholula. - Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking"

"The ubiquitous bean salad. Trendy or not, I make one almost every week. Sometimes I start with a can of cannellini beans, add in some chopped celery and carrots, parsley, and farro, and toss it all together with a vaguely Italian vinaigrette. Other weeks it's black beans plus thawed frozen charred corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, and jalapeños with a spicy dressing (I add in avocados when I eat it, but they don't keep well, so they're an à la minute addition.) Lately, it's been chickpeas, lentils, and radishes with a preserved lemon sauce. But no matter what I've mixed up, it's easy to toss a few scoops on crisp lettuce, eat directly from the bowl with salty tortilla chips or crunchy baked pita; or for a slightly more grown-up meal, serve it alongside seared tofu or grilled fish. - Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor"

Canned beans offer a fast, affordable source of protein that can anchor many easy meals with minimal effort. Simple skillet preparations can transform canned beans into saucy mains served over rice with bold spices and toppings. Versatile bean salads combine beans with grains, vegetables, herbs, and bright dressings for weeknight lunches or sides. Beans pair well with chips, pita, greens, tofu, or grilled fish and accommodate variations like chipotle, preserved lemon, or charred corn. A few pantry staples plus canned beans enable satisfying, flexible meals that come together quickly.

Read at Bon Appetit